providing Christmas gifts for needy children and senior adults in Middlesex County. It is operated through the Southside Sentinel, Middlesex County’s weekly newspaper, and the Middlesex Department of Social Services.

All clients are screened and referred by Social Services and the program is unique in that each client must submit a “wish list” to Christmas Friends. Shoppers take the list and use donated funds to select toys and clothing for children and clothing or household items for seniors. More volunteers wrap and deliver the gifts. Last year over 170 area citizens were involved as volunteers and many, many more donated funds.

For 38 years folks in this community have been donating, shopping, wrapping and delivering gifts to the needy through Christmas Friends, said Fred Gaskins, President, and there are countless times where friends, neighbors and other organizations help each other. “When it comes to sharing ‘The Love,’ Middlesex County folks do it right!” he said.

Contributions are listed weekly in the Sentinel under your name, or anonymously if requested, or using memorial information you provide.

After you enter an amount, you will have the option to leave a note. Contributors who wish to remain anonymous should request that their donations be listed as such.

Memorial contributions also will be acknowledged.

Christmas Friends, Inc. thanks you in advance for helping to wrap the many bags of gifts our volunteer shoppers will soon be bringing to the Southside Sentinel. We will be working during many morning and afternoon sessions until all is assembled for delivery in December.

When you click on the Wrapping Signup link below you will be taken to SignUpGenius to select the days and times when you are available to wrap. Click on the times when you can be available and then click SAVE at the bottom of the page. Enter your name and email address in the next window and the system will send you an email confirming the dates and times you can help.

Please be aware that we have no way of knowing how many bags of gifts Christmas Friends will receive from shoppers each day. If there are no bags to wrap you will receive an email the night before canceling that day’s wrapping session, and we encourage you to return to this page to sign up for another day!

If you encounter problems, please call Geanie Longest at the Sentinel (804-758-2328, ext. 101) and we will add your information to the schedule.

All wrapping will be in the back room at the Southside Sentinel, 276 Virginia Street, Urbanna.